Friday, March 13

Scripture for the Day:
Then Jesus said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’ ” So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate.

‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” ’ – Luke 15:11-32

Reflection – Peter Romersa

In this parable of Luke the father celebrates the return of a son who was left for dead in the wilderness, after a period of adversity, starvation, and death. The elder brother became upset that no celebrations were planned for him during his tenure of service to his father. The father explained that the return of the younger son was cause for celebration because the younger son “was dead and was brought to life; he was lost and then has been found.” The father was willing to look past the younger son’s sins of financial mismanagement, and possible consorting with prostitutes, to celebrate the return of his son who virtually died. The father was moved that his son actually made it alive from the far away land, and that his son confessed his sins, and showed remorse for his failings.

It is the hope for this type of transformation, from being lost and dead, to springing fully with life, that is the promise of the season of Lent. Sometimes it feels like the dead of winter, where the sun resigns at the early hour of 4:30 each afternoon when I am just yearning for the chance to see the days transform to longer periods; and nature will spring into life, and bring the dead into the ranks of the living. This indeed is surely a cause for celebration each year that I eagerly await to participate in.